rocky bluffs. The glacier was very slippery, and people crossing it slid down to the bottom, where they were transfixed on a spear placed there by Wolverene. As soon as something touched the spear, Wolverene knew it, and came out at once. If they were dead, he carried the bodies home; if they were only wounded, he killed them. His house was full of peoples' bones. Beaver went down this slide, and, cutting his lips with the spear so that they bled, pretended to be dead. Wolverene knew something had been caught, and came out smiling and very happy. When he saw Beaver, he said, "What a large beaver!" Then he laughed, and said, "I have caught this clever man." He carried the body home and put it down in his house. He had four flensing-knives. He used one after another, but they would not cut Beaver's skin. Then he searched for the fourth knife. Beaver knew that this knife would cut him, so he opened his eyes to see where he might find a stick. One of Wolverene's children noticed him, and called out, "Father, the Beaver has opened his eyes!" Wolverene answered, "You are mistaken. How can a dead man open his eyes?" Beaver jumped up and seized a stick, with which he broke Wolverene's arms and legs. He killed him, and put his body before the fire to roast. He also killed all Wolverene's children, and treated their bodies likewise.1

Beaver went on, and came to a bluff overlooking a deep creek. He heard a dog barking below the cliff. He listened, and approached cautiously. Presently he saw a man on the top of the cliff, and went to him. This was Sheep-Man, who killed people by pushing them over the cliff. His wife attracted them by barking like a dog, and any who were not killed outright by the fall were clubbed by her at the bottom of the cliff. When Beaver reached Sheep-Man, the latter said, "Look at the sheep down below!" Beaver said, "You look first, you saw them first." They quarrelled as to who should look over the brink first. At last Sheep-Man looked, and Beaver at once pushed him over. He was killed by the fall. When Sheep-Man's wife heard the thud of something falling at the base of the cliff, she ran out quickly, and began to club the man before she noticed that it was her own husband. She then looked up and saw Beaver, who threw a rock at her head and killed her. This is why the head of the mountain-sheep is so small between the horns; and the tongues of sheep are black because they once ate men.

Beaver travelled on, and came to a large camp of Sheep people. The women were good, and called to him, "Why do you come this way?" He answered, "I am looking for friends who have passed

1 Bellacoola (Boas, JE 1: 86, Sagen 250), Eskimo (Boas, BAM 15: 176), Loucheux (Camsell-Barbeau, JAFL 28: 255), Tsetsa'ut (Boas, JAFL 10 : 46).

2 Chilcotin (Farrand, JE 2: 26), Pend d'Oreille (Teit, MAFLS 11: 116), Sahaptin (Farrand-Mayer, MAFLS 11: 152); see also RBAE 31: 803.

along this trail." The Sheep men followed him, and he ran among bluffs and rocks. It became dark; but they pursued him, just the same, by scenting him. He went down a steep place, and the Sheep did not know exactly which way he had gone. There his trail was a sheer cliff. They called out, "How did you get down?" and Beaver directed them to the sheer cliff. The Sheep then all ran over the cliff and were killed.1

In the morning an old woman and girl arrived there. The woman proposed to marry Beaver, and had told the girl that when she slept with him, she (the girl) must club Beaver while he was asleep. Beaver refused the request of the women, and killed them both.

Beaver proceeded on his journey, and, after crossing a mountain, sat down on the trail. He saw a man coming, carrying a stick with a hook at the end. This was Marten-Man, who killed people (by hooking them between the legs). Beaver placed a piece of sheep's flesh between his legs and sat still. Marten asked many questions of Beaver. They conversed together and told stories to each other. Meanwhile Marten pushed his stick underneath the snow and hooked the meat. Beaver ran away, and Marten chased him. As he ran, Beaver dropped pieces of sheep's fat. Marten could not catch him, and turned back to his camp. He said to his wife, "I have lost some very fat game. The fat kept dropping from him as he ran. We will shift camp, and I will track him." Next morning Marten tracked Beaver, and his wife and children followed behind. Beaver lay in wait for Marten, and killed him. He cut off che arm, and covered the rest of the body with snow. Then, making a camp, he scattered pieces of sheep's fat about, and put Marten's arm on a hook to roast. He had just hidden himself when Marten's family appeared. The children were delighted, saying, "Father has killed some fat game. See the camp, and the arm roasting, and the pieces of fat scattered about!" They ran around on their snowshoes, laughing, and gathering up the pieces of fat. When Beaver appeared, the eldest boy was going to shoot him with an arrow; but Beaver called out, "Don't! I am going to marry your sister." His mother took hold of his arm, and said, "Don't shoot! He will be your sister's husband." Beaver said, "I will make a big fire, so that the meat will roast quickly." They did not know that it was Marten's arm. Beaver brought in some wood covered with snow and put it on the fire, which now became smoky and nearly went out. He asked the mother and children to get down on their hands and knees and blow on the fire. When they did so, Beaver clubbed them, and killed them all excepting the youngest child, who ran away and climbed a tree. Beaver could not catch him,

1 See Kutenai (Boas, BBAE 59: 269, and notes 311 [Blackfoot, Shoshoni, Tsetsa'ut, Uinta Ute]).

VOL. XXX.-NO. 118.-28.

so he transformed him into the animal marten, saying, "Henceforth you shall be an ordinary marten, and shall eat rabbits and mice. You shall never again eat men."

When near a small,
He went around the

Beaver continued his journey along the trail. round lake, he saw that a giant was following him. lake, and the giant chased him. Beaver ran round and round the lake, the giant behind him. The latter could not catch him, and began to slacken his pace. He said to Beaver, "How can I catch you?" Beaver answered, "Make ready everything required for frying and cooking my meat, then make a snare, set it, and catch me." The giant did as advised. Beaver put a large tree-stump in the snare and hid in the brush. The giant felt something in his snare, and began to pull on the line. It was very heavy, and he gave a mighty tug. The stump gave way, and, flying up, struck him on the forehead. The wound bled much, and the giant licked and swallowed the blood as it ran down his face. He was very tired and hungry, for he had chased Beaver all day. He sat down, and thought, "What shall I eat?" He thought of eating his ears, but said, "No! if I eat my ears, I shall spoil my hearing." He thought of his nose, and said, "No! if I eat my nose, I shall no longer be able to smell." He thought of all the different parts of his body, and at last of his privates. He could not think of their being of much use, so he cut them off and ate them. He felt sick, and said to himself, “I am getting very sleepy." He was dying, but did not know it. He lay down and died.

Beaver continued his travels, and came to the edge of a large river.2 Happening to look round, he saw another giant coming. He took off his clothes, and painted himself with the white powdery substance that covers the outside bark of cottonwood-trees. He looked like a ghost. He put little sticks in his eyes to keep the eyelids open, and stood rigid and immovable alongside the trail. As the giant approached, he said, "That game looks very strange." He took his axe and made as if he would strike; but Beaver never moved, or winked an eye. The giant said, "This cannot be game." The giant tickled him in different parts of the body, but Beaver neither moved nor laughed. The giant said again, "This is funny." He poked his finger in Beaver's anus, and then smelled of it, saying, "Well, this smells like game, but the body does not act or look like game. This is very strange." He departed wondering. Beaver ran away and climbed a tree. The giant changed his mind, and returned to examine him again. When he arrived at the place and found that he was gone, he said, "I am very sorry I did not hit him with my axe. It was surely game." He followed the tracks

1 Also known to the Tahltan.

The following incident is also known to the Tahltan. See Tsetsa'ut (Boas, JAFL 10:45).

to the bottom of a tree near the water-edge, but never looked up into the tree. He saw Beaver's reflection in the river, and said, "There he is!" He struck at the reflection with his axe. Then he moved to the side and struck again. The giant kept this up for a long time, and was completely soaked with the splashing of the water. He had about made up his mind that he could not kill him, when Beaver laughed. The giant looked up into the tree and saw him. He said, "I will shoot you," and he put an arrow on his bow. Beaver called, "Don't! If you shoot me, I shall fall into the river, and you will lose me." The giant said, "I will fire the tree;" and Beaver answered, "You mustn't. If you do that, you will burn me up, and lose all my fat." The giant said, "I will chop down the tree;" and Beaver answered, "No! if you do that, the tree will fall into the water, and you will lose me." The giant said, “Then how shall I get you?" Beaver answered, "Get a long pole and put a noose at the end and catch me." The giant agreed to this. Beaver said, "Go up on yonder hill and cut a pole." The giant went up, and, seeing a good-looking pole, called out to Beaver, "Will this one do?" Beaver answered, "No, go farther! that is not the right kind." Beaver kept on urging the giant to go farther, until he reached the top of the mountain. The giant showed a pole from there; and Beaver called out, "That one will do, now put a noose on it and get everything ready." Beaver then came down out of the tree, and swam across the river. When the giant came back, he missed Beaver, and said, "He has got away. I am very sorry I did not shoot him." Beaver talked to him from across the river. The giant asked him, "How did you get across there?" and Beaver answered, "I made my blanket into a canoe by tying it up and putting a board in the bottom." The giant did this, and when nearly across began to sink. He called out, "Help! I am sinking!" and pushed out the pole he had cut for Beaver to catch it and pull him out. Beaver took hold of the pole and pushed the giant under water and drowned him.

Beaver now made a canoe and went down the river. He saw smoke and a camp, and put ashore and tied up his canoe. This was the camp of Woodchuck, who ate men. He said to Beaver, "I am a good man, and treat my guests well. I shall cook, that you may eat, for you must be hungry." He cooked a mixture of human and other flesh. Beaver knew the human flesh and would not eat it. Woodchuck became angry, jumped on him, and scratched him. They fought a long time; and Beaver killed Woodchuck and threw his body into the river. He then burned his lodge and all his belongings.

Continuing down the river, Beaver reached the camp of Bushtail

1 See Boas BBAE 59: 305, note 3 (Assiniboin, Bellacoola, Blackfoot, Caddo, Chilcotin, Comox, Haida, Kutenai, Kwakiutl, Nootka, Ojibwa, Osage. Quinault, Shuswap, Thompson, Tsimshian). Also known to Tahltan.

Rat, who was also a cannibal. He said to Beaver, "Be my guest; I am a good man, and will treat you well. I will cook food for you." He cooked a kettleful of flesh, which when done he served on a dish. He put the human flesh on the side of the dish next to Beaver, who did not touch it, but ate only from the other side of the dish. Rat was very angry, and he and his wife jumped on Beaver. They fought a long time and nearly killed Beaver, who in the end succeeded in killing both. When nearly dead, Rat-Man called out, "I have two caches! The good meat is in the eastern one, and the poor meat in the western one." Beaver went to the eastern cache, and saw that it contained dried human flesh. He burned up the two caches and also Rat's lodge, and all the implements which he used for killing people.

Beaver continued his journey down the river, and came to the place where Kingfisher lived. He lived by spearing fish, and did not kill people. Beaver hid his canoe, changed himself into a large salmon, and swam to the place where Kingfisher used to draw water. Kingfisher saw him, and ran back to get his spear. He returned quickly and speared the salmon; but his spear-point broke off, and the fish swam away with it. Kingfisher was very sorry to lose his spear-head. He went back and sat down. Soon Beaver came along in his canoe. He had the spear-head hidden in a box in the canoe, where it could not be seen. Kingfisher said, "O my friend! I have just lost a big fish that went off with my spear-head. Had I caught the fish, we should have eaten together. I should have cooked it for you." Beaver went up to Kingfisher's lodge, where his host made him fall asleep and then read his thoughts. He found out that the spear-head was in Beaver's canoe, and went to search for it; but he broke up the whole canoe before he succeeded in finding it. When Beaver awoke, he went down to the canoe and found it broken. He reproached Kingfisher, saying, “I thought you said you were a good man and always treated your guests well. Now you have broken my canoe." Kingfisher said, "I wanted to get my spear-head, so that I may be sure to get food. If you are not satisfied, I will throw a sleep on you again." Beaver did not kill Kingfisher, because he was not a cannibal. He lived entirely by killing fish. When Beaver was leaving, Kingfisher said to him, "You will find Otter-Man living lower down; he is a bad man, and eats people. Look out for him! He has a rope stretched across the river a little above the surface of the water, and any canoe which hits it is cut to pieces." Beaver repaired his canoe and continued his journey. He watched for the rope. When he was near it, he lifted it up with a stick which he had taken aboard, and passed underneath. Some distance below

“I

1 See notes in RBAE 31 : 606, No. 67 (Bellacoola, Chilcotin, Comox, Fraser Delta, Haida, Kwakiutl, Loucheux, Shuswap, Thompson, Tlingit). The author inquired for this tale among the Tahltan, but did not find it. See also MAFLS 11 : 17.